As a single mother there are often times when we find ourselves in a bind, after all there is only one of us. It isn’t uncommon for our schedules to require us to be in three places at once. While this may seem physically impossible, somehow we manage. At times we have no other choice than to enlist the help of those around us. As much as we’d like to, there are times when we simply can’t do it all by ourselves.
Many years ago, when my mother was at the beginning of her journey as a single parent, she worked with a woman who was fighting a similar battle. She had three young children at home, was in the middle of a nasty custody battle with her abusive ex-husband, and working as hard as she could just to be able to put food on the table for her three little children. At the same time, my mother was seven months pregnant and having to ride the bus three hours to and from work, due to her own financial troubles and a selfish soon-to-be ex-husband. Both of these women were fighting tough battles, but that didn’t stop them from reaching out and helping those in need. When this young single mother learned of my mother’s situation she drove half an hour out of her way to drive my mother to work each day.
Service isn’t always convenient, especially when you are a single parent. You have to make sacrifices. It isn’t always easy, but as single mothers we need to reach out to each other and do what we can to lift each other’s burdens. The more we serve, the more blessings we find in our own lives. We teach our children by example, so that one day, they too may reach out and be the blessing in someone else’s life. This simple act of kindness changed my mother’s life forever, and in turn changed mine.